HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC APPRENTICE, CALTRANS EXAMINATION BULLETIN Survey

Exam Code: 7TR92

Department: Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Exam Type: Departmental, Open

Bulletin Date: 07/15/2021

Final Filing Date: Continuous Monthly (cut-off dates for 2024: January 31, February 29, March 29, April 30, May 31, June 28, July 31, August 30, September 30, October 31, November 29, December 31)

Monthly Salary: $3,548.00 - $5,074.00

INTRODUCTION
Caltrans is pleased to announce the posting of the Heavy Equipment Mechanic Apprentice, Caltrans examination. Employment from this examination may be offered in all Caltrans Districts and Sacramento County.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Caltrans is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

DRUG FREE STATEMENT
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. All applicants will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, as the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

WHO SHOULD APPLY
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated below may apply for this examination.

Once you have list eligibility, you may not reapply for 12 months from your eligibility date. Candidates that are unsuccessful in the examination must wait six (6) months from the testing date before reapplying to take the examination.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted into the examination. Part-time or full-time jobs, regardless of whether paid or volunteer positions, and inside or outside California state service will count toward experience.

FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Candidates are required to submit: 1) Online Multiple Choice Examination

The Online Examination must be submitted by the cut-off dates listed on this bulletin to be processed the following month.

POSITION STATEMENT
Under close supervision as an indentured apprentice, perform progressively skilled work in the construction, repair, and maintenance of heavy highway and automotive equipment; and perform other related work.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMITTANCE TO THE EXAMINATION
All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements for this examination by the cut-off date.

NOTE: Qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as “Either I,” “or II,” “or III,” etc. For example, candidates possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern I, and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern II, may be admitted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirements.

Click on the link below to review the California State Personnel Board class specification which contain the requirements for admittance to the exam:
Heavy Equipment Mechanic Apprentice, Caltrans Classification Specification

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Possession of a valid Class C driver license. (Applicants who do not possess the license will be allowed to compete in the examination, but the license must be obtained prior to appointment.) AND

Either I

One year of experience performing work in automotive or diesel repair or a related technical field.

Or II

A minimum of four units of completed course work in either an automotive or a diesel mechanics curriculum in an accredited college or recognized trade school. (Applicants currently enrolled in qualified courses may be admitted to the examination but must have the required units prior to appointment.)

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

1. Basic arithmetic and mechanical principles

2. Basic automotive or diesel repair including fabricate, construct, assemble overhaul, service, install, and diagnose

Ability To:

1. Communicate effectively as required for successful job performance and at the level of instructional materials (including, but not limiting to, safety, operations, and shop repair manuals) used in the Apprenticeship Program

2. Learn rapidly

3. Follow directions

4. Apply mechanical principles

5. Make satisfactory progress in the prescribed academic and practical work in an approved apprentice program for a Heavy Equipment Mechanic

6. Read, write, and understand English

7. Frequently stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, push, pull, reach, twist, lift, carry, and climb

8. Operate forklifts and hand operate material-handling devices

9. Lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds

Skill To:

1. Performing basic automotive or diesel repair

EXAMINATION INFORMATION
This examination will consist of an Online Multiple Choice Examination weighted 100%. Candidates will be required to answer multiple choice questions related to: Reading Comprehension, Application of Mechanical and Automotive Principles, and Basic Arithmetic and Mechanical Principles. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be attained.

Examinations will be accepted on a continuous basis and will be processed monthly. Testing is considered continuous, as new test dates can be set at any time as the departmental needs warrant.

Candidates will be notified of their score 4 - 6 weeks after the monthy submission cut-off date.

***Applicants for positions in this class are required to pass a drug- screening test. (The drug-screening test will be waived for employees who are currently in a designated "sensitive" class for which drug testing is required under State Personnel Board Rule 213.)

ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Possession of a valid Class A or B driver license; and additional college course work in automotive or diesel technology.

ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION
A Departmental Open statewide eligible list will be established for the Department of Transportation in all Districts and Sacramento County. The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the list in order of final scores, regardless of date. Competitor's eligibility will expire 24 months after placement on the eligible list unless the conditions of the list warrant a change in this period.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Veterans’ Preference will be applied to those competitors who are successful in this examination and who qualify for, and have requested, Veterans’ Preference through the California Department of Human Resources. Veterans who have achieved permanent civil service status are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference.

CAREER CREDITS
Career Credits will not be added to the final score of this examination.

CONTACT INFORMATION
General questions on how to apply? Click HERE for video tutorials.

For more information regarding this examination, please contact the Exam Reception Line at (916) 227-7858 or via email at AskExams@dot.ca.gov.

GENERAL INFORMATION
For an examination without a written feature, it is the candidate's responsibility to contact the testing department three weeks after the cut-off date if he/she has not received his/her notice.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirement does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of the others who take this test, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Caltrans reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must complete an STD679 and submit with the requested examination materials.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and the ability to work cooperatively with others; and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin. Eligibility lists may be abolished at anytime after one year, per Departmental needs. It is the candidates responsibility to maintain eligibility throughout the hiring process.

If Veterans’ Preference is Warranted: Pursuant to Assembly Bill 372, Veterans’ Preference will be awarded as follows, starting January 1, 2014:

1.    Any veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran, who achieves a passing score in an open examination, shall be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligibility list.
2.    Any veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released is not eligible for Veterans’ Preference.
3.    Veterans’ Preference is not granted once a person achieves permanent civil service status (Permanent State civil service status means the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This includes permanent intermittent, part-time, and full-time appointments. In addition, individuals who at any time achieved permanent State civil service status and subsequently resigned or were dismissed from State civil service are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference).

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans’ Preference are on the
Veterans’ Preference for Examinations form (CalHR 1093).